RAAC: Bolton schools included as full list released

The list confirms that St William of York Catholic Primary School in Great Lever, St Andrew's CofE Primary School in Over Hulton and Canon Slade School are all on a list of schools containing RAAC concrete.

This comes amid ongoing concerns raised over the last week about the potential of the concrete to collapse.

Bolton South East MP Yasmin Qureshi said: “I am liaising with headteachers, the council and school leaders on this.

“I am full of praise for the work they are doing to mitigate the mess caused by the government.

“The government was repeatedly warned about the safety concerns and left it to the last possible moment to act.

Education Secretary Gillian Keegan MP (Image: PA)

“It is not good enough to say only a small number of schools are affected. The ceiling falling in at one school is too many.

“There is no greater symbol of the neglect, chaos and complacency of this Conservative government than public buildings literally crumbling and collapsing.”

St Bernard's RC Primary School in Ladybridge had announced just yesterday that it had delayed its reopening for the new term amid concerns about RAAC but does not appear to have been included on the list.

St Teresa of Calcutta Catholic Academy Trust, which runs St Gregory’s RC Primary School on Presto Road in Farnworth, has also said that it does not have any RAAC confirmed on any of its site but that it is working with the Department for Education.

A spokesperson said: "The Trust does not have any confirmed RAAC in its buildings and has not been asked to close any areas.

“However, we are currently working with the DfE to check whether any RAAC has been used and if that is the case, we will ensure the appropriate contingencies are in place and inform parents and other stakeholders.

“Parents and staff can rest assured that Trust leaders and headteachers continue to take all appropriate steps to provide a safe and secure school environment."

Across the country more than 100 schools were ordered to fully or partially shut buildings before the new academic year due to concerns about RAAC.

The list suggests 19 schools in England have had to delay the start of term because of the concrete crisis while pupils at 24 schools will receive some remote learning because of the concrete crisis, with four schools switching to fully remote learning.

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ALSO READ: St Bernard's RC delays opening again amid RAAC concerns

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Education Secretary Gillian Keegan MP said: “I know this is the last way parents, teachers and children affected by this wanted to begin the new term, but it will always be my priority to ensure the safety of pupils and staff.

“Thanks to the hard work of schools, colleges, councils, diocese and academy trusts, the majority of settings where RAAC has been confirmed have opened to all pupils for the start of term.

“We will continue to support all impacted settings in whatever way we can, whether that’s through our team of dedicated caseworkers or through capital funding to put mitigations in place.

“We are also expediting surveys and urging all responsible bodies to tell us what they know about Raac, so we can be confident that settings are safe and supported.”